Covid-19: Brazil’s Ministry of Health recommends Janssen booster dose
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Health released a technical note on Thursday, November 25, advising that the 4 million Brazilians immunized with the (one-dose) Janssen vaccine should take a booster dose between 2 and 6 months after the administration.
According to the note, the guidance was based on scientific studies that show a significant increase in immunity following the administration of another dose of the vaccine, particularly with a longer 6-month interval.
If the booster dose is administered at a 6-month interval, antibody levels increase 9-fold after 1 week with the Janssen vaccine, according to studies. This rate continues to increase up to 12-fold 4 weeks after the booster is administered.
The technical note cited North American research showing that the booster dose, when administered at least 2 months apart, provides up to 94% protection against Covid-19. With a single dose of the immunizer, the rate stands at 75%. The study also showed that antibody levels increased between 4 and 6 times with the booster dose.
The results have prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. to recommend the Janssen booster dose. In the case of pregnant women vaccinated with Janssen, the Brazilian recommendation is that the booster dose should instead consist of the Pfizer vaccine.
Brazil has so far received 6.6 million Janssen vaccine doses. At the moment, approximately 2 million doses are under analysis by the National Institute for Quality Control in Health (INCQS).
According to the Ministry of Health, the laboratory expects another 2.8 million doses to be delivered in early December and the remainder by the end of the month. “These amounts are enough for booster application of people who were vaccinated with Janssen within the recommended interval of up to 6 months.”
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